Electric heater.



W. STANLEY. ELECTRIC HEATER.

' APPLIOATION FILED 11:13.20, 1912.

, Patented May 21, 1912.

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W. STANLEY.

y ELEGTRIU HEATER. APPmoATIo'N-HLED FBn.zo,.191z.

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Witnesses: A v Invehtor;

Patent-,ed May 21, 1912.

cw v bg winnen: sraiiirznr'oi" GREAT BARRINGTON,

MASSACHUSETTS, SSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC CQMPANY, A. CORPORATIGN OF NEW YORK.

ELECTRIC HEATER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Iateiitcd. Hay 21, 19.1. 2.

Application filed February 20, 1912. Serial No. 878,858.

To Vall 'whom it may concernf Be it known that l, WILLIAM STANLEY, i

citizen ot the United States,y residing at I Great Barrington, county of Berkshire, State of lvlassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Elec tric Heaters, ot' which the following is a specification.

My invention comprises certain iinproveinents in devices in which heat-is conserved or generated.

One portion of iny invention relates broadly to devices in 'which bodies which it is desired to thermally isolate from the surrounding atmosphere such as a receptacle ,tor inaterial, a means for furnishing heat to such material or both are surrounded with heat insulating means. The practicality of such devices obviously depends largely upon Ythe etiectiveness of the heat insulation for it' this insulation is not veitectiye inuch heat will he conducted therethroiigh and the etlieicncy or" the device decreased. In the 1 case oi; devices containing\heat supplying' y ineaiis, the cost of operating the device will therefore be accordingly increased. Especially is this` true in the case of .heating devices such as are shown and described in uiy application, Serial No. 652,174,1iled Sept. 30, 191i, of which the present application is in part a continuation. In such devices, heat is generated electrically and is stored in a heat insulated mass of a material the product of whose specic gravity and specii'ic heat is high and which has, thereto-re. high heat storage capacity. Various heat insulated receptacles may be employed :t'or holding matter to be heated by the said storage body. Unless ood heat insulation is provided `tor the said storage inass and receptacles the loss involved in maintaining the storage mass ata temperature necessary :for cooking operations would loe suilicient to prevent the commercial use of such devices.

in general it is necessary in devices of the character under consideration to surround the heat supplying means, ivlietlierof the storage or intermittent type,.and the receptacles for the matter to be heated .with suitable heat insulation as, for example, lamp black, pou-'dered silica, or asloestos.V It is necessary, however, to provide various openings through this insulation to allow access to the parts inclosed thereby. In case of electrical h ating devices, conduits must be i y l l l provided tor wires leading` to .the heating` units. it any of the parts within the de vices required to he inoved by external ineans, openings -niust be provided through the insulation for the :rod or other coniiection for producing suoli` n'ioveineiit. it is obvious that, depending upon the character of. the device, a greater or less nuinber of 1 openings inust be provided. Owing to the extent to which certain openings innst be used and also to the fact that in certain cases the insulation is of a character requiring` a container, it is necessary to line the aforesaid openings and such lining` shouldliave comparatively high strength, hardness and.

stability. It is necessary also to provide braces or supports for the various inner ele inents of the device. it

is necessary that these braces or supports have concixierahle vstrength and stability because of the stress and high temperature to which they are subjected. Not only inust the linings and. supports have the properties above enumerated, but. they inust be made of material which u'ill not allow unich loss of heat Aby conduction through thein to the outer casing or traine and subsequent radiation to the atmosphere. The prevent-ion of such loss or its reduction to a 'great extent constitutes a highly important step in the development of devices of the character referred to.

(')ne objectof iny invention is to reduce the heat losses above referred to and I attain this object by the. use ot' lii'iings andV supports composed of a nieta] having high specific heat resistance. ploy a inetal of this character which does noty oxidiz/.e even at high temperatures and which inay be readily rolled or drawn into the desiretlshape. A inetal having all. of these desirable properties is described in a certain Dempster Patent No. DOl,-l2t-.dated October 20v 1.908. 4, The other portion ol" iny invention relates to heating devices and comprises means for automatically reg'ulating the amount. oie-heatabstracted theietroin according to the quantity ofthe material to be heated. l The object is to reduce the ainount ot attention re- `quired ot' the operator to? a minimum and to y increase the economy of the said heating devices. This portion of iny invention is particularly adapted for use in connection with ranges of the general type disclosed in niy application, Serial lilo. G-5.l" t, here-im lill before referred to. ln such ranges l locate l prises theV heat storage mass 6 which is recepta. e or receptacles in suoli relation to Ithe heat storage mass forming part thereof as to be normally maintained thereby at a temperature suitable for cooking certain foods. ln this receptacle l provide means l'or supporting cooking utensil whereby the amount ot surface of the latter exposed to the heatconducted from the storage mass is automatically regulated according to Vthe Weight of materialv it contains. The more Vont a 'given material Which is-required to be cooked, the more heat Will be required to raise it to a given tcnnperaturej and according to my invention this is supplied by increasing t available area of the heated surface. More particularly, according to vthis feature of my invention, lf mount Within the receptacle hereinbel'ore referred to a support for a cooking utensil in such a manner that it will be depressed when anything is put into the cooking utensil. This supporting means by suitable adj ustment can. be arranged so'that the amount ot' depression Will be proportional to the Weight of the contents oi the utensil7 and the said contents will'be exposed to an amount ot heat coniing from the storage mass which is also proportional to such weight. lt is obvious that this portion of my invention may he used in connection 'with a heat supplying means olf any character and is not restricted to use in connection with a storage mass.

My invention will be better understood by reference to the 'following description taken in connection With-the accompanying draiving in which l have shown it embodied in a' range of the general type disclosed in my application` Serial No. 652,174.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a partial longitudinal vertical section ot' a range embodying my invention; 2 is a horizontal section ot' the same; El and e' are detail sectional views showing the means ot connecting the supporting rods; and "Fig, Si is a vert-ical section on an enlarged scale through a portion ot' the range showing a vegetable, cooking device and one part of the heal storage mass. y

The range shown in the drawing compriscs the casing 1 which may be of metal or other suitable material.. Within the same is supported the oven 2 provided with a door 3 and which may be heated by the electrical' heating unit e or by the heat storage mass or by both together. The oven may be coiistructed of cast iron or other metal the product of Whose specific heat and specific gravity is high, and one Wall' 5 ot this oven may be ot considerable thickness as to cinistitute a capacious heatstorage mass. Ti'lithin the easing 1 is also mounted what may be termed a. stove or apparatus for furnishing heat as distinguished 'from the oven to whic'i heat furnished. This cornheated by means ol the electric heating unit 7. The heat storage mass 'Gfmay have cylinders 8 formed therein and Within these cylinders may be located the plungers which are adapted. to be raised and lowered les throufrh the coiinectinol rods 15 and 16.

The covers 17 consisting o metal shells .tilled with insulating material are provided for the cylinders 8. Normally the heat is stored in the storage mass 6 by means of the he'at unit 7. When it is desired to utilize the heat thus stored for cooking operations which require comparatively high temperature the covers l? are removed and the plungers 9 are elevated by operating the handles l-l. A cooking utensil may then be subjected to a. high heat by placing it in more or less intimate relation with the top of the plunger. The specific structure olf the above described parts forms no part ot the present invent-ion, the saine being described and claimed in my fio-pending application Serialltlo. (552,174.

' Between the storage masses 5 and G are located the receptacles 18. The location of these receptacles should be such that they Will be heated to a temperature proper for carrying out a particularicooking operation or, operations. Tie length of 'the thermal path through the insulation at various points may be adjusted so as to secure the proper temperature. This adjustmentvmay he secured by making the storage masses of the proper shape as shown in the drawing.

utensil containing the food placed upon the V spider 19. The spider 19 ivillbe depressed against the action of the spring 21 an amount which will depend upon the Weight of the contents ot the cooking utensil. The more the spider is depressed the more of the surface of the cooking utensil and theretorev of .contents ot the cooking utensil.

the contents ofv the same will he exposed to the heat which is conducted tothe walls of the receptacle trom the heat storage .masses surrounding the same. Consequently 'the amount of hea-t thus supplied will be automatically proportioned to the `Weight ot' th As shown in Figs. l and 2 of the drawing, the oven 2 and lthe storage mass 6 are sup-Y ported at various points by rods 23. In Figs. 3 and 4 one means for connecting these rods to the supported body and to the casing ot the range is shown. A clevis may be.

formed by projections 24 on the supported body in which is held the rod 23 by means of the pin 25. y The other end otfthe rod is Vconnected to the casing l so that its tension may be adjusted. This result is accomplished by means of the internally threaded socltet 26 which is 'fastened to the casing l and into which is adapted to entend the rod 28. The externally' threaded nut 2T is adapted to be sore-Wed into the socket 2G and to bear against the head 28 formed on the rod 23. The rods 23 are composed of metal having ahigh specific heat resistance. Preterably they are composed ofa metal ot the general character described in Dempster Patent No. 901,428, hereinbet'ore referred to.

In various parts of the range are provided lined openings or throats leading to the various parts contained Within the same. As shown. in the drawing, throat is provided .for the oven 2 and the throats 30, 3l are provided for the conductors leading to the heating units 4 and 7, respectively. Threats 32 and 33 are also provided in the upper portions ot the receptacles 18 and the cylinders 8 respectively and in the lower part of the range throats 3i and 35' are provided for the passage ot the rods 20 und 3G extending into the receptacles 1S and 8, respectively. These openings or throats are lined with. a metal having a high specific heat resistance, pret'- eably of the character disclosed in Dempster Patent No. 901,428. also prefer to have the shells of covers 17' or at least to have the lower portions ot' the said shells eX- tending into the cylindersS, or receptacles i8 composed ot a similar metal.v

ltis obvious that various changes may be made in the structure Yand arrangement ot insulating means substantially surrounding Y vmetal having high speciic heat resistance.

The combination ot a receptacle, heat insulating means substantially surrounding the saine and having an opening there. through leading to the said receptacle, and a cover for said opening composed substantially of metal having a high specitic heat resistance.

4. The combina-tion ot a body to be thermally isolated from the surrounding atmosphere, heat insulating means substantially surrounding the same, a support located outside the heat insulating means, and means composed of a metal having a high. specific heat resistance connecting said body with said support.

The combination of a body to be ther mally isolated from the surrounding atmosphere, heat insulating means substantially surrounding the saine and having an opening therethrough leading to the said body, and a lining for said opening composed of a inet-al 'having high specitic heat resistance.

6. The combination of a body to be thermally isolated from the surrounding atmosphere, heat insulating means substantially surrounding the same and having an.open ing therethrough leading to thesaid body, and a cover 'for said opening. composed substantially of metal having a high specific heat resistance.

p 7., A stove comprising a heat storage mass and heat insulation surrounding the same having an opening therethrough, said opening being lined with metal. ot' high specific heat resistance.

8. A stove comprising a mass ot' heat insulation having an opening therein lined YWith metal of high specific heat resistance,

and a movable heat storage mass normally located substantially 'at the inner end ot' said opening.

9. A stove comprising ainass of heat in` sulation having an opening therein lined with metal of high specific heat resistance, a storage mass normally located 'substantially at the inner end of said opening, and a. heat insulating cover adapted to' close said opening. i

10. i heating stove comprising a mass of heut insulation having an opening therein lined with metal ot' high specific heat resistance, a heat storage mass of metal normally located substantially at the inner end ot said opening having a movable portion,v and meansfor moving said portion in said opening, said. means extending through the.

insulation by an opening lined with a metal of high speciic heat resistance. ll. A cooking range comprising a body ot heat insulation provided with an opny ing for an oven, a heat storage mass einbed.-

ded in said insulation, and a lining of metal orf high specific heat resistance inclosing the passage to the oven through the insulation.

lf2. The combination with a body' to be therinally isolated from the surrounding atmosphere, heat insulating material surrounding the same, a casing surrounding the said insulating material, and metallicmembers having a high specic heat resistance extending through the insu lation to connect the said body with the casing. I

i3., A. cookingrange comprising a source of heat surrounded by heat insulation, a cooking chamber adjacent thereto, a support for the material to be heated movably located in said chamber, and means Whereby said support will assume various posiions Within said chamber depending upon the Weight of the material placed thereon.

lll. A cooking range comprising a source ot heat surrounded by heat insulation, a cooking chamber adjacent thereto, and a resiliently mounted support for the matcrial to be heated located in said chamber hereby the position. of the support in the chamber Will depend upon the Weight thereon.

15. In a heating device, a source of heat, a support for bodies to he heated normally located adjacent the upper end of said source, and means whereby a body to be heated when placed upon said support will automatically depress the said support a distance substantially proportional to its weight.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 17th day of' February, 1912.

VTILLIA'II lV. STANLEY, C. Yl). RANDOLPH. 

